For years, the Newark, N.J., mayor has expertly managed his national image as big city superhero, burnished by made-for-Hollywood feats: rescuing a neighbor’s daughter from a burning building, saving a shivering dog from the bitter cold.

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But since he started exploring a run for U.S. Senate in December, in the face of tougher media scrutiny that was bound to follow, Booker is showing the unmistakable symptoms of glass jaw syndrome.

He’s learning the hard way that a Senate race fought in multiple major media markets is different than a citywide one on his own turf. His sensitivity to perceived slights in news coverage is raising questions about how easily the high-flying mayor can make the transition from the mostly adoring national media coverage he’s received over the years and the friendly confines of his 1.3 million Twitter followers.

“Is he a show horse or a workhorse? Can he be both?” said Doug Muzzio, a Baruch College political science professor who lives in New Jersey.

One New Jersey operative, who requested anonymity, was blunt about the perils of running without preparation:

“I guess only he can answer the question of [whether he is ready for] a 360-degree review of your life and times and acquaintances and friendships.”

That includes personal financial disclosures, which will require Booker for the first time to disclose, among other details, the fees he’s received for speeches that he travels the country to give.

Public polls all show Booker as the heavy favorite if he follows through as expected and runs for longtime Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s seat. The question is less whether he could win but whether Booker — who’s widely seen as harboring national ambitions — will sustain damage along the way.

Booker initially agreed to be interviewed by POLITICO, rescheduled twice, then canceled 20 minutes after a reporter asked for comment on criticisms he had received from a prominent New Jersey Democrat about how he’s handled his campaign rollout.

Since December, Booker has seen a New York Times piece that was one of the roughest of his political career, suggesting his record in Newark is not so stellar when held up to the light. The Star-Ledger of Newark reported that he had softened his stance on gun control. Those were among a string of news stories more pointed than Booker has been used to.

He’s also taken flak from Lautenberg, who isn’t happy about Booker’s public designs on his seat as the 89-year-old decides whether to retire. The senator has knocked Booker’s record in Newark and suggested that the young mayor needs a “spanking” for being “disrespectful.” Booker has resisted responding to Lautenberg.